Holiday Orders

The last few weeks have been busy finishing orders before Christmas! I have had so much fun playing with new designs and completing tried and true creatures. Below is a brief round-up of what the last month has been full of:

Bed Bug
Earlier in December I donated a bed bug to the UCR Entomology craft fair raffle prize. It really caught someone's eye, and I was asked to make a bed bug just for her. I don't keep any bugs in my inventory (and you won't find any in my Etsy shop) because, well, I deal with bugs all day I want to make cute things when I get home! Actually, I love making bugs, I just didn't think anyone else like them... anyway I think I'll add some bed bugs to the shop in the new year (take this bug to bed with ya) and maybe some other related designs as well.

Totoro
I had several orders for this whimsical guy at the UCR craft fair. As far as monsters go, Totoro has to be the cutest. I absolutely love watching My Neighbor Totoro and making these chubby critters is just as fun.

Kangaroo
At the craft fair I had a request for a kangaroo. I knew a kangaroo would be challenging, but I love how he (she?) turned out! The pouch was probably my favorite part to add. While I planned on creating a whole new pattern from scratch, this kangaroo ended up being a prime example of borrowing bits and pieces from patterns I had already completed. While I always try to document my *new* designs, sometimes I just get excited and next thing you know I forgot how many stitches I added here or there. So, I could easily make another kangaroo, but this one will always be one of a kind.

Ewoks
My friend requested months ago that I make four Ewoks - one for each of her nephews. You have no idea how happy this made me! I've been wanting to get into Star Wars characters for awhile, and this was my excuse. Best yet, the Ewoks have such a cute unrefined look to them. Which  meant getting fuzzy yarn and patching together felt hoods to complete the look. I couldn't be happier with how they turned out.

Phew! These are just the orders that needed to be completed before Christmas. I have several more things lined up in the queue (including several pokemon, some hats, and elegant washcloths [I do non-amigurumi too!]). Happy Holidays all.

Moo Cows and Unicorns

I've worked on dairy farms before, which may be in part why I love cows. They are essentially giant dogs who are sweet, gentle, and have no idea how big they are. With this amigurumi design I really wanted to make the cows as cute as possible. I currently have two varieties available: holstein and jersey cows. 

One of the challenges I enjoy is altering patterns to create new designs. One prime example of this is taking one of my cute cows, changing the yarn and embellishments, and making a chubby unicorn. I frequently have people ask me "can you make ____." With enough time and energy, almost any animal or pokemon can be crafted from shapes or patterns I'm already familiar with! Some just look cuter in yarn than others :D

UCR craft fair

Thank you to everyone who stopped by my booth at my very first craft fair this week! I had so much fun, and I am glad I was able to share my cute creations with so many people.

I'm working on lots of special orders before Christmas, but hope to have some new fun things in the shop soon! Until then, you can follow my Instagram account, @acm_bunherder, for updates and project pictures :)

Thank you!

*edit* I think next year I will need at least a whole table to myself!

Pocket critter - Pikachu

'Pokemon' is short for 'pocket monster', so it's no wonder these characters make such cute pocket critters! I love this little companion-sized Pikachu

The many faces of Lumpy Space Princess

Lumpy Space Princess is my favorite. Is it because she is purple? Sassy? Lumpy? All I know is that I can't get enough of her:

Blastoise

I recently fulfilled a request to create Blastoise as a gift. While I would normally go for a kawaii/silly face, I think this version of Blastoise turned out very well. This is definitely a pattern I will be exploring again! My favorite part about this guy is his water cannons and tiny tail... what a fun pokemon!

Jake the Dog Amigurumi

This travel-sized Jake is ready for any and all adventures!

Lumpy Space Princess

Another addition to the pocket critter collection! Here is Lumpy Space Princess

Monsters Inc - Mike Wazowski

Who doesn't want a pocket monster?? Only... well, the monster kind. It's Mike Wazowski

Pocket Critter - Jigglypuff

Jigglypuff is even more fun when she is pint-sized

Pocket Critters - bunny

I've been working on some new amigurumi designs. I wanted to make some fun creatures that were a little smaller and less complex, so they could be completed more swiftly and be a less expensive alternative to some of my larger intricate designs. Thus, the pocket critters were born. I've had lots of fun taking my favorite characters and minimizing them into one small package of cuteness. I hope to expand upon my collection soon, and any and all ideas are welcome. Here is my first creation; of course, a bunny.

Pig

A friend of mine wanted "a pig." I tried to make her as cute as possible! I am particularly in love with the curly tail.

Mudkip

I've been working on a Mudkip commission. This design was much more intricate than my other creations. I had to figure things out as I went along. Overall, I am very pleased with the result!

Jigglypuff

Jigglypuff was always one of my favorite Pokemon:

Omanyte

When I was approached to create Omanyte I knew he would be a challenge. I tried to find a snail shell pattern that I could adapt to this Pokemon and had very poor luck. I think he still came out alright, but am not 100 % in love with his shell. I couldn't believe how hard was to get a nice coil. However I am quite please with his little tentacles.

Flying Dragon

I was asked to make a dragon for someone. She asked that it be a surprise -- she had seen a few patterns online and couldn't choose just one. I liked the dragon base pattern I had use to make Godzilla and a dinosaur but wanted to put my own spin on a cute little dragon. I am quite pleased with the results.

Bed bug

I had an odd request recently: someone wanted a bed bug. Shockingly, I could find no existing pattern online. I ended up making my own pattern for this guy. Bed bugs are very flat (until they've had a blood meal) but I still wanted this guy (or gal) to be nice and squishy. I also experimented with antennae that had a wire base, so they will stand straight up. Overall I am very pleased with this bug, right down to the little wing pads.

Hobbes Hat

I custom made this hat for a friend. It took me quite awhile to find a basic hat pattern I liked that would look nice with the chunky yarn I wanted to use. This hat pattern is definitely a winner, and I have ideas for lots of variations in the future. The yarn I used it much softer and thicker than what I normally use for my amigurumi creatures because I wanted the hat to be comfortable to wear as well as super cute.

Eeyore

I made this guy to look like a floppy Eeyore. He is very soft and very cute.

Unicorn

I loved making this adorable unicorn; inspired by Despicable Me.

Gastly

This is a custom order I completed. Gastly is a ghost-type pokemon, and is surrounded by a purple cloud. The purple yarn is supposed to represent that floating cloud:

Orange Cat

I made this cat for a birthday:

Dinosaur

My little sister loves dinosaurs, so I created this critter for her birthday. He is modified from this pattern by All About Ami

Godzilla

I created this interpretation of Godzilla for a friend. I modified this pattern from All About Ami

Weedle

When I was young, one of my favorite Pokemon was Weedle. Why? Well, he's an insect!

Totoro

I made a large (~8" tall) Totoro for my husband, modified from this pattern from Hello Happy

Fluffy Lamb with bell

This cute guy is modified from this pattern by Momomints

My first amigurumi project

The first crochet amigurumi critter I ever made from this pattern provided by All About Ami. I have been crocheting for about 10 years, but never really learned formally how to follow patterns or what stitches I was using. Until recently, I was restricted to to 'regular' rectangular designs (re: lots of scarves). Using lots of pictures and videos available on the internet, I finally expanded my horizon to include rounds and granny squares. This was really my gateway to trying such a thing as an amigurumi pattern.

One of the nice things about All About Ami's patterns is they make sense mathematically and she always clarified how many stitched I should end up with at the end of a row. Being more math and science brained than artistic, this made me feel comfortable as I increased and decreased stitches. In just one weekend, I had my first completed project.